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Roadside America

Reach back here to the 'good old days', when a Sunday drive with the family was a fun and interesting adventure.

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The Verse by the Side of the Road: The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jinglesby Frank Rowsome

Remember Sunday family drives through back country roads? Kids in the back, Mom and Dad in front. Suddenly, "look Dad, Burma Shave." This book tells the complete history and the story behind those long-gone Burma-Shave signs. Includes a complete listing of every rhyme that was used on the road and the dates when you might have seen it.
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The American Dinerby Michael Karl Witzel

A wonderful color history celebrating architecture, decor, memorabilia, and the diner itself in popular culture. Representing all regions of the nation and all periods of design, many of the photos showcase historic diners that have already disappeared. A sidebar in each chapter focuses on the country's most historically and architecturally significant diners. An excellent book!
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Car Hops and Curb Service: A History of American Drive-In Restaurants 1920-1960by Jim Heimann

Filled with historical photographs and crammed with a rich collection of related collectibles this book takes you back to a unique chapter of popular culture. If you sipped a malt, hung a tray, or cruised a drive-in parking lot on Friday night, dust off that poodle skirt. Read this book. 124 color photos.
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The Gas Station in Americaby John Jakle, Keith Sculle

This comprehensive history of the American gas station offers an interesting mix of architectural history, economics, pop-culture, and geography. There are over 150 photos and reproductions of gas stations, ads, drawings, maps, and related memorabilia -- a good background resource for the serious collector.
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With fun and nostalgia, this book helps place America's fast food culture into fascinating historical perspective. Who was successful in founding fast food chains? How were chain identities -- architecture, decor, product, service, and operating routine -- created across multiple locations? A good resource, well-researched.
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This book accompanied an exhibition of artists' billboards at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in 1998. It covers the exhibit in great detail and has over 300 other examples, more than half include a photo. This is the first broad survey of billboard art.
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Gas Station Memoriesby Michael Karl Witzel

A full color history of the American Gas Station, from the earliest refueling stops, through the golden age to today's relics. Gas station architecture and design. Gas station signs and advertising images. Gas station attendants, uniforms and accessories. Gasoline Pumps, globes and containers. Maps, toys and other premiums.
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The American Hot Rodby Dean Batchelor

This excellent illustrated history of the heyday of the American hot rod is for ex-hot rodders, by one of their own. Over 200 pictures, and chapters on the birth of drag racing, Bonneville, flathead V8's and more -- all shared with love.
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The American Drive-In Movie Theatreby Don Sanders, Susan Sanders

In the 50s and 60s drive-in movie theaters were common across the US. Today, there are fewer than 1,000 and these are disappearing quickly. If you remember the popcorn, the intermission clock and the hook-on speakers, the kids in pajamas, and steamy windows, this book is loaded with over 275 photos, 150 in color.
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The New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful America's Tourist Attractions by Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins

Remember all those neat places you wanted to see but your parents wouldn't stop on your family vacations? Well, this guide to the wacky, tacky, one-of-a-kind world of kitchy treasures finds them still out there among the K-marts and Burger Kings all over the country. With tongue-in-cheek humor, you get the nitty gritty on the truly unusual in roadside Americana today.
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If you like to get off the Interstate and eat where the "folks" do, this book is for you. Real Texas barbecue? The best cinnamon rolls in the US? A diner worth driving to in Iowa? Some 500 places are covered, about 10 per state -- neighborhood places serving the best, authentic American food. With candid ratings, honest reviews, address, phone number, maps and prices, you'll find that roadside America still takes care of its travelers.
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An informative, entertaining look at the history, architecture, business, and growth of motels in the United States, from the early 1930s to the present. Illustrated with more than 230 photographs, maps, and drawings, The Motel in America contains a wealth of colorful anecdotes and details.
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